I have spent a pleasant sunny afternoon walking along the Wandsworth riverside.

WANDSWORTH BRIDGE

The main aim was to look at the new tunnel under Wandsworth Bridge. Now at Plantation Wharf you remain by the water and continue upstream passing the Waterfront pub. At the bridge the path turns inland but, instead of going up steps to traffic, the walker can turn sharp right to go under the road.

It’s a wide arch with a huge map of the Thames Path in west London on the wall.

After this you keep forward into the short road ahead called Pier Terrace. At the crossroads by the Ship Inn go ahead and right to regain the river.

WANDLE

I took the opportunity to walk on to the Wandle. Having crossed Bell Lane Creek I was able to go sharp right with the River Wandle and follow this on a permissive path which joins the Thames and soon after the wide promenade leading direct to Wandsworth Park.

This means that you can avoid the small industrial estate. Sadly you now do not pass the unique Cat’s back pub. But this new path is much better and provides a brief rural feel at the confluence of the Wandle and Thames.

The Times (£) on this Easter Monday has an obituary of Jean Leslie along with her photograph taken in 1942 by the Thames at Little Wittenham.

The MI5 secretary had been swimming in the river just before the black and white photograph was taken. This picture was to be ‘Pam’, girlfriend of a fictitious Major Martin. This was the name given to a body tipped overboard with forged papers and the photo.

It was an elaborate scheme to deceive the Germans as told in the film The Man Who Never Was.

I think the houses seen in the distance behind the young Jean, or ‘Pam’, are in Dorchester-on-Thames.